


How Do We Win

by ink_writes16



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: 2x08 Spoilers, 2x08 coda, F/M, I know I say canon doesn't exist but I can't wait until april, M/M, There's more relationships but I can't get them all, i guess?, tw car crash mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29981559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ink_writes16/pseuds/ink_writes16
Summary: He’s forcing himself to stay calm, to ignore the throbbing pain in his head, to not cry, to be optimistic. But it’s been a long day and he’s tired and scared and that stomach-churning fear that he felt earlier in the restaurant is back.Carlos’s hand is on his shoulder, gently pushing him down. “Ty, they’re not even out of surgery yet.”
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Owen Strand, Carlos Reyes & Paul Strickland (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Marjan Marwani & Carlos Reyes, Mateo Chavez & Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Mateo Chavez & Marjan Marwani
Comments: 16
Kudos: 215
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	How Do We Win

**Author's Note:**

> This is long, considering most of my stuff is usually about 1k but. I've been working on this for a couple days and it hurts me to write so good luck y'all.

TK shifts and opens his eyes, searching for Carlos. He’d been slipping in and out of sleep since his parents had left; whenever he woke up, Carlos was always there by his bedside, waiting for him.

Except for this time. He frowns and looks around the cramped room.

“Carlos?” His voice is rough and thick with sleep. He hears his boyfriend’s voice drifting in from the hall.

Carlos appears a moment later, an anxious look on his face; one that makes TK’s stomach tie itself into a tight knot.

“What’s wrong?” TK asks, holding his hand out to him. Carlos takes it and carefully sits on the edge of the bed.

“Uh...that was your dad.”

TK rolls his eyes with a smile. His dad was annoying but TK would be lying if he said he didn’t appreciate it.

“Well, you can tell him that I’m fine and that he can take mom to the airport without worrying.”

Carlos looks up at him with sad eyes, which only increases the tension he’s feeling.

“No, I-I called him.”

TK makes a face. “Okay?”

Carlos swallows and shifts. “There was a crash. They just wheeled the passengers into the OR.”

TK’s heart stops. “...my parents...?”

Carlos shakes his head quickly. “No, no, they made it to the airport. But... TK, it was the Ryders.”

His breath catches. He starts to shake his head, wincing slightly at the searing pain. “Judd and Grace?” Carlos nods and he looks away. “Are-Are they okay?”

“Uh, it’s-it’s hard to say... they were critical when they came in.”

“Oh my god...” He mutters out the words, shaking his head. He shifts and tries to sit up more. “I have to see them. I-I need to see them.”

He’s forcing himself to stay calm, to ignore the throbbing pain in his head, to not cry, to be optimistic. But it’s been a long day and he’s tired and scared and that stomach-churning fear that he felt earlier in the restaurant is back.

Carlos’s hand is on his shoulder, gently pushing him down. “Ty, they’re not even out of surgery yet.”

“ _I don’t care_ \- I need to see them,” TK repeats, more insistent as he tries to fight his boyfriend. The tears are falling now, despite his best efforts, and his head is throbbing.

“Babe, stop, listen to me,” Carlos instructs. He cups TK's face in his hands and TK can’t focus on anything but his eyes, his fear canceling everything else out. “Breathe for me, please.”

TK obliges, taking in a few shaky breaths. Carlos runs his thumb gently over his cheek, wiping away the tears and nodding.

“I know you want to see them, make sure they're okay,” Carlos says calmly. “I know he's like a brother to you. But right now...baby, this is the worst part right here: the waiting.”

TK shakes his head again, scrunching his eyes closed against the pain. “This isn't fair.”

“I know, mi amor,” Carlos says softly, pulling him close. TK rests his head against Carlos’s shoulder, biting his lip.

“They don't deserve this,” he mutters.

“No one does,” Carlos responds absently, his fingers running through his boyfriend’s hair.

TK pulls away. “Okay... Okay, you have to keep me updated.” Carlos raises an eyebrow. “Go, stay with the rest of the team. If they wake up, you get a wheelchair and take me to see them.”

“Ty, I'm not leaving you.”

“It’s a hospital,” he says, his eyes pleading. “I literally can't think of a safer place for me to be.”

“And what if they missed something? What if something happens? And I'm not here?”

TK grabs Carlos’s hands desperately. “Please.” His voice breaks slightly on the word. “I need to know what's going on. At least until my dad gets back.”

Carlos studies him for a moment. Then he sighs and brings their hands up to kiss his knuckles. “Deal. But if anything feels remotely wrong-”

“I will call you first, I promise.”

“No,” Carlos shakes his head. “You will call a nurse first. Then me.”

TK lets out a quiet laugh, one that feels all too out of place. “Fine, fine. Just go, please.”

Carlos hesitates for a moment longer, making a face, like he was already about to back out. TK raised his eyebrows.

“Okay, okay, I'm going.” He stands and gingerly presses a kiss to his forehead. ”I love you, mi amor.”

“Love you too.”

* * *

Carlos hates leaving him. He wants nothing more than to curl up into his boyfriend, to make everything go away for the both of them. For all of them.

He shoves his hands into his pockets as he approaches the rest of the 126.

“Any news?”

Marjan shakes her head sadly, her hand on Mateo’s back; a sort of comfort for him, Carlos supposes. Paul was sitting on her other side, eyes darting around the room, hyper-fixating on every detail. Owen was still on his way, as were Judd and Grace’s parents.

Carlos lets out a breath and looks back the way he had come. He’s not sure if he likes the thought of TK being alone, especially in his current condition.

“How’s TK?” Marian asks, snapping his thoughts back to reality.

He shrugs. “He’s fine, kind of mad cause I made him stay in the bed.”

She nods, the corner of her lips twitching up in a smile. “I don't know why you even let him out of the house,” she jokes.

He smiles back, grateful for the attempt to ease the tension. “Yeah, well, if he ends up in here again, he's sleeping on the couch,” he smirks.

Mateo stands abruptly and glares at him before turning his gaze onto Marjan.

“Why are you making jokes?”

“‘Teo-” she says softly.

“People we love are _hurting_!” He looks between them. “And you guys are sitting here making _jokes_ about it!”

Marjan starts to say something but he just shakes his head and walks away. She follows him down the hall, calling after him.

“I don’t know why,” Paul says. Carlos looks at him and takes Marjan’s seat, resting his head against the wall. “But I think he gets hit by this stuff the hardest.”

“What do you mean?” He asks, raising an eyebrow.

“He doesn’t like hospitals very much,” Paul explains, shaking his head a little. “I dunno why, he hasn’t told us too much about his family but... Maybe he’s lost a lot of people.”

Carlos looks down at his hands. “It must be hard for the team. To have two of your team members in a hospital bed.”

“Three.” Carlos meets his gaze again. “Grace is as much of a team member as Judd. Same as you.”

He smiles a little at that. “Cause she’s dispatch?”

Paul frowns. “What? No, man, because she's Grace. And she's Judd’s wife, which makes her family to the rest of us. Gwyn, Charles, Grace, you; you’re all family because you love someone on the team.”

Carlos nods; Paul shifts to face him because he's Paul and he knows when he’s not convinced.

“You don't believe me. Well, who’s apartment do we go to when we all hang out?”

“Mine,” Carlos shrugs. “Cause it’s the biggest.”

“Why couldn’t we just go to the Strand’s?”

Carlos shrugs again. “I don’t know. I offered my place up, I guess.”

Paul takes a breath; like Carlos just isn’t getting it. “TK wants you to like his friends. Because you’re family. And you’re stuck with us.”

“So that makes you- what my brother-in-law?” Carlos jokes with another perk of his eyebrow.

“You hurt him, and you'll get a world of hurt,” Paul smiles.

Carlos laughs and feels his phone vibrate. He pulls it out and shakes his head.

“What’s TK complaining about?”

Carlos glances up at him. “I hate when you do that.”

“Anyone could do it. You both light up when you text each other.”

Carlos rolls his eyes but he knows how true the statement is.

“Paul, Carlos.”

They both look up at the source of the voice. Owen’s usually perfect hair is sticking up in all directions, and he was starting to look his age.

“Where’s everyone else?”

“TK’s still in the same room,” Carlos says, “Marjan and Mateo needed a minute.”

Owen nods and even Carlos can tell he’s a million miles away.

* * *

The next few hours are excruciating.

Judd’s father and Grace’s parents show up a little while later. Carlos doesn’t know any of them very well but he offers his sympathies anyway and all they can do is wait. Owen’s knee is bouncing, Marjan and Mateo are back. Paul is tugging a thin, faded string bracelet between his fingers and everyone else is silent.

It’s almost suffocating.

Carlos shifts. “Captain St- Owen,” he corrects, noting the way that the other man raises his eyebrow. “I’m going to go check on TK. Let me know if anything changes?”

He nods but his eyes drift past him. “Why don’t you wait a minute?”

Carlos frowns and follows his gaze.

“Family of Grace Ryder?”

Her parents stand but they're all listening intently.

“Is she okay?”

“She's stable,” the doctor says, nodding slightly. Carlos could feel the breath that’s released. “She’ll be out for a while but we can let the immediate family back there.”

“What about her husband?”

The doctor looks at Judd’s father then around at the rest of the group, as if he didn’t realize they were all there for the same people.

“It’s still too early to tell.”

Carlos sees Marjan stiffen, watches as Grace’s mother grips the cross around her neck.

“You’ll keep us updated, Doc?” Owen asks, wringing his hands.

“Of course,” the doctor nods with a small, smile before turning away.

Carlos swallows hard. “I’m...um, I’m gonna go talk to TK.”

It’s Owen’s turn to nod and Carlos takes another look at the group. They seem tired. All of them look exhausted and he knows he probably looks the same if not worse. He runs a hand through his hair and heads toward TK’s room.

He knocks gently on the door and TK look’s up, smiling at first. Then, as if remembering the situation, his face falls.

  
“What happened? Are they okay? Are they in recovery? Are-“

  
“TK,” he says calmly, pulling the chair up next to the bed and shaking his head; he takes his hands in his. “Um, Grace is out, she’s okay. We don’t… they didn’t say anything about Judd.”

  
“No one asked?” TK says incredulously.

“He said it’s too early to say.” Carlos meets his gaze, running his thumbs over his knuckles. “You just have to trust they know what they’re doing.”

  
TK made a face and rested his head against the pillow, pulling his hands away. “I hate this…”

“I know, mi cielo, they’re going to be okay, though.”

“What if they’re not?” TK mumbles, twisting the blanket in his hands.

“Ty…”

“No, I don’t… I don’t want to lose anyone. Look, Alex leaving me was the best thing that ever happened to me. But also the worst.”

Carlos frowns at that. “What do you mean?”

“If he hadn’t left, I wouldn’t have come here, I wouldn’t have met you, or the rest of the team, and I wouldn’t have become a paramedic or anything.” He shifted. “But all of that opened me up to more people. And the more people I have in my life the more…the more I have to lose.”

Carlos shakes his head and moves so he’s sitting on the bed. “You are not losing any of us.”

  
“That’s not true!” TK winces slightly, lowering his voice again. “My mom is leaving for New York again and taking my baby brother with her. Grace is sitting in a hospital bed in bad condition I bet, and Judd… Well, I don’t know about him, he could be dying for all I know.”

Carlos looks away, tightening his jaw and shifting. “What can I do?” His voice is quiet and TK shrugs.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t… Can you stay here with me?”

Carlos nods. “For as long as you want me to.” He presses a kiss to TK’s cheek. “You’re dad’s going to text me updates.”

TK lets out a breath and reaches for him, tugging on his shirt. “Come here.”

Carlos smiles and shifts so he’s sitting next to him, his arm wrapped around his boyfriend’s shoulder, holding him close.

“Thank you for being here,” TK says softly, looking up at him.

Carlos carefully presses a kiss to his forehead. “Yeah, well, apparently I’m part of the firehouse family.”

TK furrows his brows. “Of course you are.”

“Well, I know that _now_ ,” Carlos jokes.

“I thought you knew that?”

  
He hesitated. “I think I did. I just needed someone to actually tell me.”

TK presses closer. “Well, I’m glad they did.”

  
“Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading comments and kudos are appreciated :)


End file.
